Wet shaving razors have evolved over the years to include a multiplicity of blades with the goal of increasing the closeness of the shave that is achieved while also still providing a comfortable shaving experience. In particular, the blade assemblies include sharp cutting edges that engage the hair during cutting so as to extend the hair from the skin. After the hair is extended, it does not immediately retract into the skin. A second blade may further cut the hair before it fully retracts, so-called “hysteresis cutting,” resulting in a closer shave. Wet shaving razors with multiple blades may provide multiple cutting and extending events and multiple opportunities for hysteresis cutting.
The distance between consecutive cutting edges or so-called “span” is theorized to affect the shaving process in several ways. The span between cutting edges may control the degree to which skin will bulge between blades, with smaller spans resulting in less skin bulge and more skin comfort during shaving, but may also increase opportunities for double engagement. Larger spans may reduce opportunities for double engagements but may result in more skin bulge between cutting edges and less skin comfort. Span between cutting edges and, thus between blades, may affect rinsing of shave preparations and shave debris after a shaving stroke, with larger spans easing or quickening rinsing and smaller spans slowing or making rinsing more difficult.
A need therefore exists to provide wet shaving razor cartridges having an increased number of blades within a cartridge that is acceptable to a shaver in terms of size, effectiveness, and rinsability.